Imphal/New Delhi, February 3: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh was on Tuesday elected as the BJP legislative party leader in Manipur, paving the way for the formation of a new elected government in the state nearly a year after President’s Rule was imposed following prolonged ethnic violence.
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| Yumnam Khemchand Singh |
The decision was taken at a meeting of BJP legislators held at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi. With his election, Khemchand Singh is set to take over as the next Chief Minister of Manipur, marking the end of central rule in the state.
President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13 last year after large-scale ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, and was later extended by Parliament in August for another six months. Although there was no elected government during this period, the Manipur Legislative Assembly was not dissolved, allowing the new government to continue until the end of the Assembly’s tenure in 2027.
Khemchand Singh was first elected to the Manipur Legislative Assembly from the Singjamei constituency in 2017 and was re-elected in 2022. During his first term, he served as Speaker of the Assembly until 2022. After the 2022 elections, he joined the second ministry led by N Biren Singh as a cabinet minister, handling key portfolios including Municipal Administration and Housing Development, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, and Education. He remained in office until February 2025, when President’s Rule was declared.
Political sources indicated that Nemcha Kipgen is likely to be appointed as Deputy Chief Minister, while another Deputy Chief Minister is expected to be named from the National People's Party (NPP), the BJP’s key ally in the state. Senior BJP leader Khonthoujam Govindas is also likely to be appointed as the state’s Home Minister.
Sources further said the party leadership is considering giving significant representation to the Kuki-Zo community in the new government to promote inclusivity and support the ongoing peace process.
In the 60-member Manipur Assembly, the BJP holds a comfortable majority with 37 seats, while its ally NPP has seven seats, giving the coalition a strong mandate to form the government.
